1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to internal combustion engines and especially to improvements in internal combustion engines having electrolytic cells for generating hydrogen and oxygen for combination with the fuel-air mixture for the engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, a variety of internal combustion engines have been provided, and typically these engines have a system for feeding a fuel, such as gasoline mixed with air, into the combustion chamber for running the engine. Such engines typically also have an electrical system which includes a generator or an alternator which may be connected through an electrical regulating circuit for charging a storage battery and for operating the electrical components of the engine and of a vehicle.
A variety of hydrogen fueled engines have also been suggested in the past, including those using combinations of hydrogen and oxygen, which in some cases are generated in the electrolytic cell having an electrolyte including solutions of salts, acids or bases in water. The electrolytic cell breaks the water down between hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis and the hydrogen or the hydrogen and oxygen in combination can then be used to run an engine. The advantage of the hydrogen and oxygen as fuel is that it is an efficient fuel which generates no pollution, in that in the combustion the hydrogen and oxygen recombine to form water in very minute quantities. Such engines however have not been brought into general use because of the inefficiency in the generation of hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis, which takes far more power than can be generated from the hydrogen and oxygen used as a fuel, even in high efficiency engines.
The present invention is directed toward the generation of small quantities of hydrogen and oxygen through an electrolytic cell in which hydrogen and oxygen is combined with the usual fuel-air mixture to improve the efficiency of the engine. Inasmuch as an alternator or even an auxiliary alternator attached to an engine will produce only limited quantities of fuel through electrolysis using up to several horsepower through an inefficient conversion, the value of the system lies in the improved efficiency of the engine and in the obtaining of a cleaner burn of the fuel. Tests have shown that the efficiency of the engine is improved substantially by the addition of predetermined amounts of hydrogen and oxygen in accordance with the present invention, thereby substantially increasing the miles per gallon obtained by a vehicle. The tests have also indicated a substantial improvement in emissions of carbon monoxide and particulate matter in the exhaust of an engine, indicating that such an engine can meet emission requirements.
Prior art use of electrolytic cells can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,068 for an internal-combustion engine which suggests the use of parafin on top of the electrolyte in the electrolytic cell and a splash or shield plate to prevent the boiling off of the electrolyte. The electrolyte becomes very hot when the cell is in operation, and if connected to the manifold, a vacuum is produced thereby lowering the boiling point in the electrolyte. This problem is somewhat increased if larger currents are used to generate larger amounts of hydrogen and oxygen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,160 to Talenti teaches the use of an electrolytic cell in which the oxygen is fed to the atmosphere, while the hydrogen is fed to the fuel system through a control valve and filter. U.S. Pat. No. 2,509,498 to Heyl uses an electrolytic cell connected to the carburization system in which the electrolytic cell has a filter to absorb the electrolyte which might be carried into the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,905,627 to Holland shows an electrolytic cell for generating fuel for an engine, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,545 to Mosher has an electrolytic cell connected to an internal combustion engine and has a solenoid actuated switch connected to the ignition system, a flow control valve and a check valve placed between the cell and the intake manifold, and provides means for conducting ambient air into the electrolysis unit for agitating the electrolyte. U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,668 to Pacheo shows an electrolytic cell connected to an internal combustion engine through a throttle valve and having a pump and reservoir, while U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,364 to Bogan produces hydrogen gas through the intake manifold by passing water vapor over heated iron balls to cause oxidation of the iron balls.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,053 to Horvath uses an electrolytic cell equipped with a float for detecting the level of the electrolyte, while the O'Laughlin U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,390 teaches a fuel economizer having an electrolytic cell having exhaust gases fed thereinto and which feeds the gas to the intake manifold through a control vavle. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,913 to Rupe, hydrogen is mixed with atomized liquid fuel which is combined with a predetermined quantity of air which is delivered to the engine, while U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,953 to Hughes, et al., uses surplus electrical energy to drive an electrolysis unit.
By Bradley, four U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,939,806; 4,003,344; 4,003,345; and 4,099,489 show a fuel regenerated non-polluting internal combustion engine which uses an electrolysis cell to decompose water to produce oxygen which is passed to the air intake of the engine carburetors, while the hydrogen is conveyed to the carburetor.
The present invention overcomes some of the problems discussed in the prior patents by preventing the boiling off and feeding of the electrolyte solution into the engine manifold, even while using larger amperages than provided in the prior art, and at the same time, adds safety features to prevent the hydrogen from igniting in the electrolytic cell and for cooling the electrolytic cell when using larger amperages.